{"id":110152,"date":"2026-06-26T15:29:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/eu-targets-amazon-microsoft-cloud-units-for-big-tech-gatekeeper-rules-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:29:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:29:30","slug":"eu-targets-amazon-microsoft-cloud-units-for-big-tech-gatekeeper-rules-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/eu-targets-amazon-microsoft-cloud-units-for-big-tech-gatekeeper-rules-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"EU targets Amazon, Microsoft cloud units for Big Tech \u201cgatekeeper\u201d rules | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

EU DMA designation may impose interoperability, data portability and self-preferencing limits on AWS and Azure<\/p>\n

The logo of Amazon is seen at the company’s logistics center in Bretigny-sur-Orge, near Paris, France, November 28, 2025. REUTERS <\/p>\n

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European Union antitrust regulators said Amazon and Microsoft\u2019s cloud computing services<\/a> should be designated as \u201cgatekeepers\u201d under landmark tech rules, \u200ba step that would subject them to strict obligations aimed at curbing market \u200cpower.<\/p>\n

The designation under the Digital Markets Act would impose a set of obligations and bans on the world’s two largest cloud providers, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, including limits on self-preferencing and \u200brequirements to ensure interoperability and data portability.<\/p>\n

So far, EU regulators have targeted core \u200bplatform services such as search, social media and app stores<\/a> to rein \u2060in Big Tech. Extending the DMA to cloud infrastructure would mark a significant expansion \u200binto a sector seen as critical to AI.<\/p>\n

The preliminary findings follow a seven-month-long investigation.<\/p>\n

“Cloud \u200bservices have become a cornerstone of Europe\u2019s economy \u2014 and a prerequisite for AI \u2014\u00a0with over half of EU businesses now relying on them, combined with record investment in public cloud infrastructure,” EU tech chief \u200bHenna Virkkunen said in a statement.<\/p>\n

“Given their central role in Europe’s digital future, these \u200bservices must operate in fair, open and competitive markets that foster trust and secure Europe\u2019s tech sovereignty.”<\/p>\n

Amazon \u200csaid \u2060the assessment disregards the breadth of cloud services available to European customers and risks deterring European investment and innovation.<\/p>\n

Read More: <\/strong>Indian tech hub names road for Trump, drawing criticism from Modi’s BJP<\/a><\/p>\n

“The EU already has comprehensive cloud regulation through the Data Act, and adding another heavy layer of overlapping regulation under the DMA undermines European competitiveness and access \u200bto cutting-edge information technology,” \u200ban AWS spokesperson \u2060said.<\/p>\n

Microsoft pointed to its rival Google’s growing power.<\/p>\n

“We remain concerned that ignoring the growing power of Google Cloud and Gemini will tilt \u200bthe market in a harmful way,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

The commission\u00a0<\/span>singled out \u2060AWS and Microsoft Azure’s significant turnover, <\/a>bigger operational capacity and investments than rivals, vast and entrenched user bases, lock-in effects and high switching costs.<\/p>\n

The EU competition enforcer also cited the \u2060two \u200bservices’ AI tools and partnerships as a decisive factor in \u200bcloud procurement.<\/p>\n

Amazon and Microsoft can now seek to counter the Commission’s preliminary findings before the regulator issues a final \u200bdecision in the coming months.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EU DMA designation may impose interoperability, data portability and self-preferencing limits on AWS and Azure The logo of Amazon is seen at the company’s logistics center in Bretigny-sur-Orge, near Paris, France, November 28, 2025. REUTERS European Union antitrust regulators said Amazon and Microsoft\u2019s cloud computing services should be designated as \u201cgatekeepers\u201d under landmark tech rules, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":110153,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.tribune.com.pk\/media\/images\/amazon1782406546-0\/amazon1782406546-0-640x480.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t